No abstract

In the present study, we investigated a simple pollen preservation method that could be used by growers with the objective of achieving a steady supply of pollen for hand pollination of Japanese pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum (L.) DC.) in protected cultivation, which enables advance shipping. We used temperature conditions that could be reproduced by home-use refrigerator-freezers. After preserving fresh pollen from the early and full bloom stages at 5°C or −20°C, pollen germination rates were measured on agar media. The results showed that germination rates comparable to fresh pollen were maintained for 20-30 days at 5°C and for 10 months at −20°C. Blooming was observed following hand pollination using fresh pollen or fresh pollen that was washed with an organic solvent and then preserved at −20°C for 10 months. These findings indicate that this method allows the use of pollen from the previous year for hand pollination of Japanese pepper.